If you want attention for your listings, Instagram real estate marketing done right can move people from casual scrolling to an actual showing. Instagram Stories and Highlights are two of the best tools agents have: Stories give you fast, full-screen, in-the-moment reach, and Highlights keep your best content available after the 24-hour window. Use Stories for sneak peeks, open-house teasers, neighborhood tours, and quick FAQs — then store the best ones in Highlights so prospects can find them anytime. This guide gives practical, step-by-step Stories tips that get watched, saved, DM’d and turned into leads.
Why Stories & Highlights matter
Stories are built for immediacy and habit. People swipe through Stories during commutes and breaks, making them a natural place to catch attention without needing a polished feed post. Highlights turn your temporary Stories into permanent mini-pages (for example: “Listings,” “Sold,” “Neighborhoods,” “Buyer Tips”), so new visitors can browse your best content any time.
Quick results you can use in a pitch
Short video gets more attention than static posts. Stories let you show behind-the-scenes moments, publish time-sensitive material, run interactive stickers to qualify leads, and keep evergreen content in Highlights. Use these features to justify your approach to sellers and to stand out in listings.
The 7-step Stories playbook (repeatable sequence)
Use this sequence for every listing campaign:
- Teaser (48–72 hours before launch/open house): 10–15 sec clip of the best feature with a “coming soon” sticker.
- Behind-the-scenes (48 hours): staging shot or time-lapse with a poll: “Want to see inside?”
- Launch day: 3–6 frames (exterior, kitchen, living, master), each 8–12 sec, with price, beds/baths and one CTA: “Link in bio / DM to tour.”
- Feature focus (next 24–48 hrs): one Story per standout feature with question sticker to spark replies.
- Open house / live day: post live clips, use a countdown sticker to remind followers.
- Social proof: post attendee reactions and quick testimonials after the open house.
- Follow up (48–72 hrs later): answer collected questions in Stories using the Question sticker.
Save each stage into a Highlight (e.g., the property address or “Open Houses”) so it’s always discoverable.
Story formats that convert
- Quick tour clips: steady walking tours.
- Before & after: staging or renovation transformations.
- Neighborhood micro-tours: short clips of local coffee shops, parks, transit.
- Polls & sliders: simple engagement that starts conversations.
- Countdowns & RSVPs: drive open house attendance.
- Q&A / AMA: answer buyer questions to build authority.
Always include a clear CTA: DM, link in bio, or “Book” in bio.
Story design — professional without overproducing
- Keep each frame simple: one short sentence + one clip/photo.
- Use branded colors and readable fonts.
- Add captions because many watch with sound off.
- Keep a short intro frame so viewers know the Story is about the same listing.
Use Highlights like mini landing pages
Organize Highlights as curated landing pages. Useful categories:
- Listings: one Highlight per property.
- Sold: testimonials and social proof.
- Neighborhoods: guides with local hotspots.
- Open Houses: ongoing archive.
- Buyer / Seller Tips: evergreen content.
- About / Team: short bios and contact details.
Create simple cover icons so your profile looks organized and clickable.
CTAs that actually work
- “DM ‘TOUR’ to schedule” — low friction.
- “Tap ‘Book’ in my bio” — link to a scheduler.
- “Vote in poll + I’ll send comps” — engages then converts.
- “Swipe up / Link in bio to virtual tour” — direct traffic.
Automate quick replies using saved replies or CRM integrations to confirm showing requests instantly.
Scheduling, batching & tools
You don’t need to post live every day. Save time by:
- Batch filming: film multiple clips in one session.
- Use templates: keep 6–10 Story templates for fast updates.
- Scheduling tools: use scheduling apps to plan and track.
- Content calendar: simple spreadsheet or Trello to plan a consistent mix.
This approach keeps your Stories active without daily stress.
Paid Story ads — when and how to use them
- Use Story ads for high-value listings or to boost open house reach.
- Keep creative simple with one CTA and strong hook.
- Target locally (ZIP codes, neighborhoods) and retarget engaged viewers.
- Start small, test two creatives, and scale what works.
KPIs to track (show sellers real ROI)
- Impressions & Reach — who saw it.
- Sticker taps — engagement from polls and questions.
- Link clicks / bio clicks — real traffic to listings.
- DMs generated — raw leads.
- Completion rate — percent who watched the whole Story sequence.
- Conversions — bookings, showings, offers attributed to Stories.
Use Instagram Insights plus scheduling tool metrics and UTM links to attribute web traffic.
Ready-to-use Story templates (fill-in copy)
Teaser (3 slides):
Slide 1: “Coming soon: 3BR in [Neighborhood]” + exterior clip.
Slide 2: “Open plan kitchen!” + pan of island + poll.
Slide 3: “Want a preview? DM ‘PREVIEW’” + location sticker.
Open house (4 slides):
Countdown + “Open House Today 12–3pm” → exterior + “Free coffee” → walkthrough + “Book slot via link in bio” → attendee reaction.
Neighborhood (3 slides):
Coffee shop clip + “2 min walk” → park clip + “Best dog park nearby” → “DM ‘NEIGHBORHOOD’ for comps & schools”.
Save these templates in a Highlight so your team can reuse them.
Compliance & legal reminders
- Avoid discriminatory language or ad targeting that violates fair housing rules.
- Disclose brokerage and listing representation clearly.
- Get permission before posting other people’s faces.
- Keep records of Story responses that lead to showings or offers for compliance.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Too much text — use short lines and big fonts.
- No CTA — always direct viewers to one action.
- Poor visuals — use a stabilizer and good lighting.
- Slow follow-up — DMs are leads; respond fast with saved replies.
- Not saving to Highlights — don’t let valuable content disappear.
Fix these and your Stories will perform much better quickly.
Quick tools list
- Design templates: Canva.
- Scheduling & analytics: Later, Hootsuite.
- Multiple links management: Linktree.
- Stabilization: small smartphone gimbal.
- Booking links: Calendly.
- Cover icons and brand assets: simple templates in Canva.
14-day sample content plan (easy to copy)
Week 1: Mon: New listing teaser — Wed: Neighborhood micro-tour — Fri: Buyer tip — Sat: Live open house snippets.
Week 2: Tue: Feature focus + poll — Thu: Q&A — Sun: Sold post + testimonial.
Keep a 60:30:10 mix: 60% listings/area, 30% tips/education, 10% personal/behind-the-scenes.
Launch checklist — publish a Stories campaign in 24 hours
- Gather 5 short clips (exterior, kitchen, living, backyard, master).
- Create 3 branded Story templates.
- Draft CTAs for each Story (DM, link in bio, book).
- Schedule or post live and save to a property Highlight.
- Track replies and follow up immediately.
Do this once and you’ll have a repeatable system that produces consistent lead flow.
Instagram Stories and Highlights are powerful, low-friction tools for real estate agents. Use strong hooks, clean visuals, one clear CTA per Story, consistent posting, and quick follow-up. Save your best content in Highlights so your listings and local expertise are always on display.
